The Coma
by vulgar shudder
Summary: Zack is the new nurse of a luxury care facility, and is put in charge of a young man who has been catatonic for 4 years. There is little hope of recovery, but Zack just can't help being optimisitc. AU, yaoi.


Warnings: AU, yaoi

Pairings: Zack x Cloud

Disclaimer: Not my property and not for profit.

Notes: This is a CENSORED version in accordance with 's guidelines. Finished one shot, with the possibility for a sequal.

The Coma

"And this." The staff nurse said to his new colleague. "Will be your main charge." He said almost apologetically as he opened the door to the patient's room.

Zack poked his head into the bare and functional room, only to see a young man with almost un-natural blond hair by the window.

Reno motioned him in further before shuffling the brown folders in his hands to find the one he was looking for and read the name on the front. "Cloud Strife." He said before opening it. "21. Catatonic state since a fire when he was 17. Brain scans inconclusive, but the neurologist and psychiatrist have evaluated him to be in a persistent catatonic state."

The nurse looked up at Zack. "Vegetable basically, all he does is sit there and breathe. Put a spoon in his mouth and he'll swallow, put him to bed he sleeps."

Zack nodded as he took in the information. A long-termer it would seem. But that was ok, the rest of his charges were the usual mix of middle-aged men who couldn't cope with the stress of their business and teenagers who folded under the usual emotional turmoil of their high schooler lives, which were common in such a nice private psychiatric hospital. Nearly everyone was here voluntarily. Those that weren't were transferred by family members for the more comfortable surroundings. It was more a basic holiday resort than mental institution. Instead of sun loungers, there were restraints.

Come here escape the stresses of life, get up at 7.30, breakfast at 8, take some pills, watch TV, eat lunch, go to therapy, more TV, dinner, TV, bed at 10. You life was regimented, the responsibility of living taken from you, people listened, told you that it was not your fault, it was your depression, your bi-polar, anorexia, phobia. And that was your brain chemistry, your parent's fault; it was all not your responsibility.

When one felt mentally refreshed, or bored of day time television, you went home. This was the case of the majority of patients at Kalm Care Hospital. Anything alluding to psychiatric purposes was tactfully danced around in the name, but fully covered in the brochure, don't worry you are crazy and we have all the facilities and creature comforts you could want. Doctor's, nurses, pills, private TV, a pool table, ECT, mobile library, calming music, straight jackets if you really want!

There were a few other long term care patients in the facility, and it probably wasn't that bad a deal. Others may become frustrated with such a hopeless prognosis, but Zack was so laid back he had the patience of a saint.

"So, I'll give you the files to read over." Reno said handing them over to the younger nurse. "Dinner is at 6, you'll have to bring his down and feed him. Hand over for the night shift is at 8."

And that concluded the guided tour of Midgar's plushest mental institutions, and Reno was eager to get back to the nurses station and look over the paper work.

"Thanks." Zack said as he took them, and the other man left. The door closed behind them and Zack almost breathed a sigh of relief. "God what a tight ass." Zack said to his patient in the other room, as if he expected an acknowledgement of agreement. Of course there was none, the patient stared ahead at nothing.

"Hi, I'm Zack your new nurse." He introduced himself as he took the visitor's seat opposite the one Cloud sat in. Zack ignored the 3 others files as he sat them on the table next to him and started with the one with the young man's name on.

This was no public institution, the chairs were comfortable, and the decoration rather than sterile white you would expect in a hospital was light yellow walls with peach chairs. An attempt to be less institutional, more relaxing and homely.

He settled in as he perused the information in the file. It had Cloud's main details, a quick prognosis, care needs and most recent reports written each shift by whom ever was in charge of his care. But now, next to the detail that said Care Nurse was Zack's own name, written over the tipex that covered his predecessors'.

Zack's blue eyes went to one number in particular. "17 hey…" Four years of life not lived, and who knew how many more. He looked up at the boy, spiky blond hair in a disarray, under which delicate features and startling sky blue eyes. No wonder his parents had called him Cloud.

He leaned closer to the blue eyes, but they were glassy and for all appearances dead. "What a waste…" he muttered in pity, noticing that the young man's mouth hung open slightly, and a trail of drool slipping down over his chin. The zipped high necked jumper had a dark patch under the chin, and Zack turned to the box of tissues plucking a few out.

He leaned over and dried the young man's chin for him as well as the jumper. As he did so his fingers gently pressed the boy's jaw closed for him. "Much better." He said with a smile. The kid may be gone for all intents and purposes but he should be able to keep some dignity.

Besides, you never know. The boy was young and he might just wake up as it had been a long sleep. The likelihood was slim, but Zack was an optimist.

He went back to the file, where he read the brief diagnosis. This was only the day file, where the daily reports would be held. The doctor would have Cloud's full file in the office, where his medical reports, evaluations etc would be held. Things that would be all the more technical, and were not the concern of just a nurse. Of course he'd be meeting the doctor every month to discuss evaluations, treatments, or more likely in Cloud's case his care needs. Next to the doctor's name Zack read Dr Hojo, and wondered what the doctor was like.

Zack closed up the slim file and swapped it for another one of a patient that was livelier. The middle aged man who'd had a mental break down, but was expected to leave shortly after his rest stay from the outside world. The other two were young people who probably just needed to get their ass in gear than moping Zack thought a bit cynically. Nothing too taxing, no bi-polars slashing their wrists for attention or violent schizophrenics in the throws of paranoia accusing him poisoning their food or reading their minds. Zack suspected he'd been given a light load because Cloud would be his focus, keeping a body alive and comfortable that would just wither and die if left to its own devices.

"Well Cloud…" He said checking his watch and gathering up the files. "I'm sure we can get on swimmingly." He said genuinely. Zack stood, looking down on the young man in the chair. "I'll be back with your dinner, with a cup of tea to go with it." He hoped the boy liked tea, but everyone liked it in this area so it was a safe bet.

The nurse was just about to turn and leave, when he leaned over and noticed the knots and tangles in the spiky hair. Oh come on, that hadn't been brushed in ages. His lips pursed in annoyance that such basic care had been neglected, probably with no one noticing with the few weeks Cloud had been without a regular charge nurse.

"Tomorrow." He said to the unmoving blond boy. "You, young man, are having a bath and then we're going to brush that cockatoo barnet of yours." Zack smiled and friendly tussled his hair even more, "No complaints!"

"So yeah, I said to her." Zack said his hands in mop of suds and blond hair. "You can't let your mother tell you what to do still…you're in your 20s already!"

Zack was telling cloud his latest girlfriend woes, as he massaged in the soap into the young mans head. As he had promised, he was giving Cloud a bath and some much needed attention to his hair. He could feel some mats that were going to be plenty hard to get out.

"Ok buddy, lean back." Which of course the patient didn't do, so he pulled back his head to start rinsing the soap away with a shower head. If he hadn't kept the boy's back steadied, the force on his forehead would have carried him back into the hot bath water. As the suds fell away clouds eyes stared up, at the white ceiling and florescent lighting. It was a bit un-nerving but Zack his hand cupped on Cloud's forehead to make sure no soap rinsed down that way.

That done he picked up the conditioner. "But women hey, more trouble than they're worth aren't they." The nurse asked his patient, as he rubbed some conditioner in. On second thoughts he got the bottle again and put even more conditioner on, and left it to work in. He was going to need all the help he could get.

The patient had already been soaped and washed, and it had been the first time he'd seen the scaring on the young boy's chest and arm, light pink mottled scars marring that otherwise white skin. The fire he remembered.

So Zack picked up a wide toothed comb. "I wonder what kind of girls you like…" He said aloud, then realising that maybe the boy hadn't had the chance to have any experience with a girl. As happened regularly with the blond boy pity swelled in him as he started to work the comb through. He got out the easiest of the knots before moving around to the front to try and deal with a worst of the mats.

Zack tried to be careful, but the comb hit on a hard snag and he heard some hair rip. "Oh I'm sorry!" He said automatically, but then he noticed there hadn't been any reaction on the boy's face, of pain or anything. If there was nothing there, then there wouldn't be would there?

"Um…I'll go easier with that one…" He said a bit guiltily, working patiently until they were all gone. The blond locks hung down unnaturally flat in front of the boy's face. "I think we're done kiddo." Zack grinned, and proceeded with rinsing the conditioner in the same manner as before.

"Well, bath time is done; I think it's time we got you out before that water gets cold." Zack said as he gathered the towels he'd left earlier. He draped one over the patient's shoulders, pulling the plug. He'd discovered there was a knack to getting cloud moved about, and it wasn't necessarily like moving a dead weight all the time.

"Ok, time to get you up." Zack said putting his hands under cloud's arms and lifted him up. It was awkward, but he weighed nothing and once you got him to his feet he would stand briefly, swaying unsteadily. "Great work Cloud." He grinned at how smoothly the manoeuvre had gone. He grabbed the other towel from his shoulder and started to dry him off as quickly as possible. By the time you had finished your nurses training, there was no embarrassment left in the human body. You had seen and cleaned it all, and he merely averted his eyes as was customary with more delicate body areas.

Zack had left the towel around the boy's waist and after rubbing the patient's hair he went to get the clean clothes he had waiting. Only he noticed a pink mark below the boy's ribs. He bent down, his hand resting on the boy's waist to keep him steady as he inspected it, brows furrowing slightly. You were trained to be observant of any thing weird that might need the doctor's attention. "What's this then?" He asked the boy as he looked at the wide pink line. "Oh." He said in realisation. "It's just a scar." Zack concluded, although it was unlike the burn scars. Weird, but he didn't know the full story behind the blond man yet.

The nurse straightened up, finishing up with the top half of the clothes. He coaxed cloud out of the bath, taking most of the weight onto himself. Another reason he'd been made cloud's nurse, it was no problem for his strong build. From there it was just a matter of getting cloud into the wheel chair and finishing dressing.

"There." Zack said happily. "I bet that feels much better now." He said reaching for a small tub of hair…nutrient stuff he'd picked up on the way to work this morning. Most of the patients had their own toiletries brought for them, but cloud had nothing he had noticed, and was using hospital issue soaps. Under next of kin in cloud's file there was no family member listed, just an unfamiliar name, with a note that this was a lawyer who was cloud's legal guardian. So no visitors to bring in luxuries. Sad, Zack noted as he blow dried the boy's hair.

He finished on the short locks quickly, and he came around to grin at the boy. The blond shone brilliantly now, "You've got hair like spun gold you know cloud. But…" He started before ruffling his hair again, "You still look like a cockatoo!" He chuckled. He thought the spikes would be tamed now there were no tangles, no such luck.

A few months passed, and work settled into a routine. Two of his original patients had been discharged, and he'd gained similar cases to fill their places. Sometimes the talkative ones exasperated him secretly, always whining about what was a relatively comfortable life and seemed to more moping than genuine physical depression. But to allow such sentiments to show would be VERY unprofessional and NOT what the patients were paying for. He was bright and cheerful, listening sympathetically to concerns and dealing with their needs.

Cloud however was always willing to listen to Zack for a change, as he blabbered on about casual observances and news. So Zack spent a lot of time with Cloud, usually when he was writing reports or to watch TV with him to 'stop him being lonely', which the other nurses laughed at when they heard. Zack was sure though that there was hope, no matter how slim.

But right now he'd escaped from the patient areas, he'd just spent the morning being shouted at by a bi-polar that was in the throws of a manic phase and it had worn him out before he'd managed to direct her to her own charge nurse. He was in the cigarette room, where the staff was allowed to smoke. Fishing for his own cigarettes he noted Reno was in there, another staff nurse. "Yo." The red haired man greeted, blowing smoke from his own cigarette.

"Hey." Zack greeted flopping down for some respite. "Helen is absolutely nuts at the moment, she so needs her meds changed."

Reno snorted. "Yeah well if Hojo was ever around…"

Hojo was proving illusive at best of times. It seemed he was currently engaging in research at the moment, and was infrequently in once or twice a week, with only a few long timer patients to his name, which included Cloud, the new admissions being passed around the other doctors.

"Tell me about it." Zack still hadn't had a meeting with Hojo to discuss Strife, the doctor no doubt pushing it to the bottom of his priorities.

"How's the cabbage doing?" Reno asked.

Of course he was referring to cloud, and Zack only rolled his eyes a bit as he took another drag on his cigarette. "Oh you know…"

"Still a vegetable." Reno chuckled. Now if one thought Zack could be a bit cynical sometimes, they had nothing compared to Reno. "Still not surprising, after what happened…very messy…"

"Oh the fire…" Zack nodded in agreement. He'd heard that there had been a fire at Cloud's home when he was 17, killing all his family, leaving him badly injured and comatose.

Reno snorted, making smoke coming out his nose. "Yeah the fire and the murders."

This made Zack stop and pay attention to Reno. "Murders?"

"Don't you know? It was all in the newspapers." Reno looked at him as if Zack was stupid.

"I only moved here two years ago…" Zack ignored Reno's accusing stare, he wanted information now.

"Uh well…the official story is…" Reno lit another cigarette, more than happy to spin out his break time along with his tale. "Robbery goes wrong, entire family slaughtered with the kid stabbed, and then arson to cover up the evidence. Only the kid survives, dragging himself out to the hallway before the flames reach him. Now he's a vegetable from the smoke, head trauma, or you know watching your parents disembowelled in front of you. "

"Right…" Zack prodded, leaving it open for Reno to continue, the other nurse obviously had more.

"But MY theory is…" Reno was a loud mouth gossip if anything. "That the kid done it."

"What, Cloud?" Zack said in disbelief. Well it's not like he knew Cloud, but he just seemed so…weak and innocent you know?

"Yeah. Like Mommy says he can't have a new car, the family was loaded, and the kid flips and totally murders his parents!" Reno gave his theory. "Sets the fire to cover his tracks. No evidence."

Zack finally called Reno on his bullshit. "But he was like stabbed himself right?" That would explain the scar.

But that wasn't going to deter Reno, "That was just self defence from the slaughtered parents! Or he did it himself to make himself look the victim…but didn't recon on the fire getting to him or that bang on the head from the collapsing building or what ever it was that caused it."

"You're full of shit; you've been listening to that shizo patient of yours too much." Zack laughed, finishing off his cigarette between his smirking lips. "See ya later." He said putting the butt into the ash tray and leaving.

As he walked the corridors to write his reports for the shift it still weighed on his mind. Was that angelic looking scrawny kid a murderer?

He went into cloud's room, and the kid was still there as usual. Someone had left a cup of tea in a special mug on the table beside cloud, obviously forgetting about it. Zack tutted, and picked up the special mug, that unfortunately looked like a toddler's tippy cup. It was still hot though, and he moved the chair to be beside Cloud's. He held the cup to the younger man's lips, tilting it back so the tea went into his mouth, where he mechanically swallowed.

"So did you Cloud? Is that why you're like this?" The dark haired man asked, studying the patient's face carefully for a response. There was none of course, and the setting sun through the window illuminated the strands of gold that hung over the boy's face.

"No…I don't think so." Zack decided confidently. His gut told him that this was no killer, just a tragic result of unfortunate circumstances. Wrong place wrong time. "Don't worry kiddo, I believe you." He said brushing the hair away from younger man's face hoping it was comforting gesture, to what ever, if anything lurked behind those dead eyes.

He gave a Cloud another drink, before setting it down next to him as he opened the folder on his knee to scribble away notes for the rest of his charges.

Within half an hour Zack had finished, said goodnight and went to the hand over meeting for the night shift, where he and the other nurses would report updates and concerns to do with care and moods of the patients.

After that Zack had left the building, walking to the car park Cloud's window overlooked. He put his motorcycle helmet on, before climbing on and making the engine roar into life. With a twist of the throttle and letting go of the clutch gently, he had left the car park and was on his way home.

What he didn't see was figure in the window, move it's head towards the noise of the engine, and sky blue eyes follow the disappearing rear lights.

Zack was still out of sorts. "I can't believe she dumped me." He mused as he stabbed another square of tonight's dinner. Breaded chicken, peas and fries. Cloud would never finish the entire plate, he never did. If you fed him too much, he wouldn't swallow, just chew and chew accepting another mouth full until it dribbled out. Nobody wanted that, least of all Cloud Zack thought. But by now he was attuned and could tell when the younger man had had enough.

The nurse offered a French fry, dipped in ketchup. Deciding what was a big enough for a mouth ful was also an art, because too much and it wouldn't be chewed properly and you could imagine the consequences. In the 4 years it was on record Cloud had choked due to the carelessness of an agency nurse.

But Zack had it sussed, as he had with most of cloud's quirks. "Like I mean does one's mother really have that much of a say in this day and age." Zack was still brooding about his break up with his girlfriend. After she'd told him, Cloud was the first one he'd told. He'd come in the room and said. "She's dumped me Cloud." And as if Cloud had responded, 'no way dude' he'd carried on, "Yeah I know." And the whole call had come spilling out.

Cloud was an excellent friend Zack had decided, listening patiently as always. Never broke a confidence.

Setting down the fork, he got the drink for Cloud, holding the straw to his lips. Cola, Zack always remembered to bring something different to drink with his meals. "Like…I'm not THAT bad a guy am I?" He asked as cloud swallowed and he took the straw away to go back to the fork. No answer. He stopped. "I'm not am I?" Cloud stared on. "Don't give me that look!"

Zack was sure Cloud had different 'looks' that he used to carry on his one sided conversations. There was the amused look. The disbelieving look. The agreeable look. The annoyed look. He got that one when ever he ruffled Cloud's hair and called him a cockatoo.

"I have a job, I don't drink…well much… I don't gamble...well only with Reno…" Zack listed off his good points as he fed more food to Cloud. "…I wear clean underwear…" He was struggling already, and got a bit disparaged. "Come on you know I'm a good guy don't you?"

The uncertain look.

"No way are you getting dessert, I'm just gonna eat it myself. It's ice cream, your favourite." Zack knew that was Cloud's favourite because that was the only thing Cloud ALWAYS finished. Anyone else would have said that by the time Cloud finished the ice cream it was just liquid going down his throat, but Zack knew better.

The puppy dog look.

"…oh alright then. God I'm such a soft touch." The dark haired man rolled his eyes.

The victorious look.

Zack tutted. "Don't be such a cocky bastard."

Maybe it was just easier to deal with Cloud if he believed there was someone there, rather than just this body. Or maybe Zack was hoping he could irritate the boy into a response.

As promised he did give Cloud his ice cream, as always it was finished. Today he would write 'Cloud enjoyed his dinner' in his evening report. He finished off the drink as well, and Zack leaned forward and said sincerely. "You're a good kid you know, I'll look after you."

But what happened next frightened the bejesus out of him.

He felt a swift movement on his wrist, and looked down to see Cloud's smaller hand gripped around his wrist. The fingers squeezed tight until the knuckles were white. "Holy shit…" He said, and looked back up at Cloud, the eyes still response less.

But he could feel that grip like a vice, and he peered closer into those sky blue eyes. "You really ARE in there aren't you…" He waited for a response. But all he felt was the grip loosening and the hand flopping off back down into Cloud's lap.

"Oh no no no no you don't." Zack shook his head and put the cup down on the tray beside him, and went to grip Cloud's hand in his own. "Do that again, please, do something!"

But the hand was slack. The eyes never moved.

"It's too late now Cloud, you've let the genie out of the bottle!" Zack grinned; he moved his hands to grip the small shoulders, shaking him gently. "Don't think I'm giving up on you now!"

Cloud's head flopped forward with the movement, but that was not going to deter him.

Hojo, he must go tell Dr Hojo!

In the 6 months Zack had been working there, he had only met Dr Hojo once to discuss Cloud.

And it was a quick affair, a formality.

'Any note worthy changes?'

'Cloud isn't keen on the fish pie I think.'

'…I said noteworthy Nurse Fairland… '

'Um no. And it's Fair…'

'Then lets carry on his care plan as previously prescribed.'

But now, oh now this was definitely noteworthy. He preyed today he would be lucky, as he ran to the nurses station. He checked the board all staff members had name plates, which would be turned around to show their names when they were on duty. And there it was, the doctor was in!

Zack raced around the building and up the stairs, out of breath by the time he knocked on the door baring Hojo's name.

A 'come in' came from inside the office, and Zack opened it cautiously in case the doctor had a patient. But he didn't, instead he was typing at his computer with a whole load of notes spread around the desk.

"Dr Hojo…" Zack began, but couldn't get the words out through his breaths.

"Nurse…Fairland is it?" The doctor looked less than impressed as he looked over his glasses, and motioned to the chair in front of the desk which he gratefully took.

"Fair but Dr Hojo…its Cloud Strife."

Hojo's interest looked a little piqued. "Has something happened?" His tone turned condescending. "Or does Cloud dislike the coleslaw now."

Zack ignored the tone, shaking his head. "No Doctor, it's I mean, he gripped my wrist!"

"Oh…" Hojo looked less than impressed.

"Doctor this hasn't happened before has it? Maybe it's a sign he's coming out of his catatonic state."

The doctor leaned back into his high leather chair, he'd been hoping for a seizure, pneumonia, something a bit more interesting. "Or it was an autonomic response from his brain stem, a flinch."

Zack shook his head. "This wasn't just a twitch, he was holding on really hard."

Hojo still looked unconvinced, as he stood to go to a filing cabinet. He opened it and brought out a thick tome of a file, and slapped it down on the desk between them before taking his seat. The name on the label said Cloud Strife.

The doctor opened it, "you do realise what we tried." As he shuffled through the papers and CT scans. "Medications, ECT, light stimulation, deep brain stimulation…" He found the latest CT scans, and held it up to the light. "Shadowing here." He pointed to somewhere on the scan not that Zack could see at this angle. "Consistent with brain damage due to blunt trauma." The doctor picked up another one, looking at it beside it "Minimal brain activity." He put the scans back down on the desk. "If there was no improvement in the first year, this is as good as it gets."

"But doctor…" Zack tried to protest.

Now Hojo was looking really annoyed. No one second guessed his prognosis, least of all a nurse.

"He is in a persistent vegative state. There is no hope."

Zack looked like he wanted to say something. But he couldn't argue with the man.

Hojo rolled his eyes. "I will come down and examine him to check he is not worsening. And I will inform the next of kin."

"Thank you doctor." Zack already standing.

Within the hour the doctor came down as promised and performed a quick neurological exam. Zack watched nervously, and the doctor checked reflexes, shone lights. Zack flinched even when the doctor stuck a needle into various parts of his body to see if there was any reaction to pain, but there wasn't.

The doctor stood finishing his own notes. "No change." He told Zack with satisfaction as he passed.

Zack closed the door and sighed in disappointment. He went over to Cloud and sat down beside him, sighing slightly. He glanced over and saw in a panic Cloud's hand was bleeding at the fleshy part between his thumb and first finger. "Asshole." Zack muttered, going for some tissues, dabbing at the pin prick. "I know you're in there Cloud." He told the patient. Still bleeding and he pressed harder on it this time. "After that stunt there's no way in hell I'm giving up. No way in hell." The bleeding had stopped and Cloud looked on. The scared look.

The next day nothing happened, or the day after that. Reno laughed when he heard, saying that maybe Cloud WAS faking after all, and was just biding his time until he could kill Zack.

This afternoon, when Zack had come in whomever had dressed Cloud in the morning had severely miss matched the clothes. Where the hell had they found that Xmas jumper?? He knew for a fact he'd hidden it deep inside the bottom of the wardrobe in November to stop anyone dressing Cloud in it in December. He'd apologised profusely pulling it up over the boys head, finding something a bit more…cool to wear. The staff didn't wear a uniform; he wore jeans and a V-neck sweater with a t-shirt underneath today. If he didn't have to dress a dweeb there was no reason Cloud had to. He decided on Cloud's ribbed zip up jumper, the navy one. It made his eyes stand out brilliantly against it, and he'd be nice and warm.

"Man, you're a knock out you know." Zack told the boy. He really was, despite his lack of muscle tone. He was brushed Cloud's hair before leaving him, he had to deal with another patient. Some girl complaining about not being able to blog. He was finishing up with her when he saw an unfamiliar figure walk past the window of the common room. He jogged to catch up, and realised just how tall he was. And that hair…

"Excuse me can I help you?" Zack asked.

The man turned, the silver hair swishing behind him. "Yes. I'm here to visit Cloud Strife."

Zack felt rather stunned, at both the fact Cloud had a visitor, and the man's green eyes. "Oh…" He finally managed to get his mouth working again. "And you may be?"

"My name is Sepiroth, I am Cloud's legal guardian. I was informed of an incident…"

"Ah yes of course Mr Sepiroth. Please right this way, I am Cloud's charge nurse." Zack explained, as they walked down the corridors, the man following closely behind. The man in the dark suit was intimidating to say the least.

They reached Cloud's room, and followed the man in…just to see if there was anything he could do to help. And he was burning with curiosity; this was the first visitor Cloud had had since he had arrived.

Sepiroth briefly surveyed the room, before resting his eyes on the form in the chair. He stepped closer, looking down at the patient who seemed like a child compared. He bent down to look into Cloud's face, studying it as Zack had done on countless occasions.

"We meet again Cloud, do you remember me?"

There was a tense silence in the room, before Zack broke it. "So you're Cloud's legal guardian…"

"Yes…" Sepiroth took the seat opposite Cloud so he could continue his study in comfort. "I was his father's lawyer and friend before the…incident. I was left in legal control of his business and affairs since there are no other family members…" He explained, his eyes never leaving Cloud's.

Zack nodded his back to the door.

"Has there been any more…developments from my ward?" The suited man asked.

The nurse shook his head. "No nothing since that day."

"I see…" Sepiroth sat in silence, before standing and leaning over Cloud. He picked up the young man's thin arm, raised it, and let it drop back into Cloud's lap. "Hmm…like a puppet with it's strings cut."

Keep your hands off! Zack wanted to shout. He had decided he did not like this man…something wasn't right in the way bemused way his eyes were fixed onto cloud, his top lip twisted into a sneer.

Seeming satisfied, Sepiroth straightened and looked directly at Zack. "If there are any more developments, do not hesitate to contact me. I am most deeply concerned for the welfare of my ward, and if there is any possibility of improvement, I want to know."

Zack nodded, even though something inside him chilled. "I'll do it personally myself." He said, not sure he'd really go through with the promise.

"…I'll see myself out." He said passing the nurse without a second glance.

Zack let go a tense breath, well that was…weird to say the least. He went to sit in the chair opposite Cloud, wondering what to do. He glanced at the patient and something seemed amiss.

Cloud's face had changed. There was a tension on his face, and when he looked down at his hands they were white knuckled fists.

"Cloud?" Zack said in concern, going over to kneel in front of him to examine the hands. They were curled up, the short nails digging into the palms. "What the…" Zack had begun, thinking this was some kind of seizure when warm drops landed on their hands. He looked up, and realised they were tears. Cloud was crying. And his brow furrowed, as if he was in pain. There was definitely emotion there behind the blue eyes.

"Hey buddy…what's wrong?" Zack asked, pushing some of the hair out of Cloud's face. What happened next made his eyes open in surprise, he felt Cloud's skinny arms snake around his broad shoulders, holding him there. "Cloud?" He asked, not daring to move to break the contact, he could feel Cloud's heart racing in his chest.

The younger man's face was held into his neck, and he felt lips move and warm breath there.

Cloud had spoken. But it had been said so softly Zack couldn't make it out. "What?" He encouraged, bringing his own arm around the boy's narrow frame to keep him there.

"Run." Cloud whispered again, and a chill went down Zack's spine.

Zack was sitting opposite Cloud in the visitors' chair, unsure what to do. Cloud hadn't said anything else, and once his heart returned to a normal pace his arms had gotten slack and Zack had finally let him go.

Cloud didn't seem to move again, but his eyes would come to settle on Zack. There was definitely another person staring back.

He watched Cloud's eyes move again, this time focusing on the cup of squash on the table.

"Go ahead." Zack told him. "Take it." He was just curious as to what would happen.

Cloud did lift his arm, fingers trembling slightly. But he fumbled with the grown-up-tippy cup, and knocked it over.

Zack jumped up to mop of the spill with tissues, there was still plenty in there so this time he took Cloud's hands and put them around the container and helped him take a sip.

Zack sat back again, his chin resting on his palm. "You definitely understand, responding…I've got to tell Hojo."

This made Cloud's eyes widen, and he shook his head.

"What? Not tell Hojo? I've got to!"

"No." Was Cloud's quiet firm response.

Zack was taken aback by the order. An order from Cloud, the novelty. "But you're getting better Cloud! "

Cloud's eyes closed slightly, and he just said "Him."

Zack frowned, "Who? Hojo?"

Cloud shook his head, looking like he was falling asleep. "Him."

Zack should be ecstatic at the one word responses, but getting anywhere in the conversation was slow going. "Sepiroth…" He offered, and Cloud closed his eyes in a grimace at the name. "What about him?" And there was something about him, the reaction Sepiroth had gotten from him…and Zack felt it too.

Cloud opened his eyes again, this time not looking at Zack. "We've got to get away from him." He said more strongly. "If he finds out…"

"What?" Zack ran his fingers through his hair. He didn't understand what was going on, what to do. He should have been straight on the phone to Hojo, and the guardian. But Hojo wouldn't believe him, the doctor had made his diagnosis and nothing less than Cloud dancing into his office would convince him otherwise. The guardian…

Cloud didn't elaborate, letting his head fall back, looking positively tired already.

"You can sleep you know." Zack told him.

"Can't, not if he comes back." Cloud warned him.

Zack let go of a breath. "Fine! I won't tell anyone. You being compos mentis will stay between us, for now. So don't worry he won't be back for a while."

Cloud seemed to relax a bit at the news. And Zack stood to haul him up. "I'm putting you to bed."

There were no protests at the suggestion, and Zack got him changed and over into the clean hospital sheets. Cloud curled up instinctively and a pale hand snaked out to touch Zack's hand. The nurse held it, and crouched down to push some blond hair out of his face.

"Stay…" Cloud pleaded.

Zack looked at his watch, hand over was in an hour. "I'll stay until you're asleep. I'll be back in the afternoon for the evening shift." Cloud seemed satisfied with that answer, and let his eyes close fully.

The nurse sighed, shifting his position so his back was to the bed frame, letting his hand rest over Cloud's on his shoulder. The enormity of the promise sunk in, and he pondered his predicament until he heard the young man behind him breathing even out. He put the hand back under the sheets, and reluctantly left to finish his duties for the night as if a miracle hadn't just happened. He finished his shift report with 'No change to catatonia.' As had been done a thousand times before.

Zack had been up half the night searching the internet. He'd searched after his conversation with Reno, about the fire to see that the murders were true, but this time he delved further into the aftermath.

It turned out Cloud Strife's father had been the CEO of the power company Shinra. In the event of his death his majority shares had passed to his son, but due to his condition that had been put into a trust fund which was now controlled by personal friend and legal advisor Sepiroth.

Sepiroth had taken his place on the board of directors, and was doing quite well making quite the name for himself in business circles. As long as Cloud remained incapacitated, Sepiroth would continue to act on his behalf, for the benefit of the trust fun, which he controlled anyway.

So if Sepiroth was a ruthless man, Zack could understand Cloud's fear.

But…there was more to it than that. Was it just the financial side of things Cloud was worried about? …and the more he thought about it a nagging suspicion about the circumstances of fire grew.

Or was this paranoia just an effect of brain damage, and Zack was too involved to see it?

A million uncertainties grew, and he could barely wait for his shift to start. He nervously waited at hand over, listening for the report on Cloud to be read.

A nurse called Scarlet finally got to Cloud's, and Zack held his breath. Had Cloud's awakening been noticed by others? If it had his responsibility at keeping the secret would be resolved, Zack didn't know if that was good or bad.

Scarlet mechanically read out her report. "Cloud was gotten up, washed and dressed. Ate little breakfast. TV was left on for him, but he did eat lunch. No change to catatonia."

Zack let go of the breath he'd been holding as the file was slapped down to the pile on the floor, as she picked up another one to read. They discussed other patient's more, but Zack was too distracted to contribute.

After an age they finished, and the new comers about to start their shift filed out, and Zack slipped out. He felt edgy and nervous, paranoid that his colleagues would be able to see right through him.

So he jumped a mile when he felt a hand slap on his shoulder.

"Yo Zack." It was Reno and the dark haired nurse spun around to face him.

"Huh what?"

"Off to see the turnip." Reno grinned. He seemed to take pride in finding a never ending array of vegetables to call Cloud.

"Huh, oh not yet." Zack decided, wondering if doing so would make him suspicious. He could check up on his other patients as well.

"Oh really…" Reno raised an eyebrow. "We all know you watch Mercy Hospital with him."

Zack forced a flippant grin. "Cos who else but someone in a coma is gonna watch it with me." He slapped the red haired man on the back as he passed. "Catch ya laters in the smoke room."

He really did go check on his patients. Listen to them, note their concerns, yadda yadda. He was itching to get back to Cloud. When he did manage to get there, he closed the door behind him firmly.

Cloud was sitting there, staring into space.

"So have you been faking all these years? Cos you're good, very good." He said dryly, waiting for a reaction.

And there was one, Cloud shrugged his shoulders. "Kinda, I think." He said uncertain. "I don't remember much, it was all a bit dream like…I just didn't want to wake up. Or something…" He said vaguely.

"Oh? So why now?" Zack questioned, going to take his seat opposite Cloud.

"Dunno…must be the brain damage." Cloud evaded the question, he obviously remembered enough to parrot the medical opinions that had been discussed around him. He looked out the window and said, "You've got a sweet ride."

Zack leaned forward and turned his head to try and see what Cloud saw. "Oh, my bike." It was sitting there in the lot as it always did.

"Yeah, I could see you cruise off on it every day." Cloud said dreamily, he looked a lot calmer today.

It was really un-nerving to hear Cloud's perspective, well to have Cloud talk. But Zack was curious, "So what you been thinking about me? Hate my guts?"

There was a poignant pause before Cloud answered, "No. You were better than the last nurse. She pulled my hair."

"You do have a bird's nest." Zack teased, Cloud should be used to that by now.

It didn't seem to bother Cloud either way, he looked deep in thought. Finally he said. "I want to leave here." His gaze went onto Zack. "Help me."

"Huh? Well you can talk to Hojo, you just need to show you're of sound mind, you're not even here under a sectioning so…" Zack started on the procedure to be released, but was cut off by Cloud.

"No. No way. I need to be gone before he finds out." Cloud told the nurse.

"Wait you're talking about escape? And you want me to HELP you?" Zack was taken aback by the very idea. "That is just wrong on so many levels! Legally, ethically…I could have the book thrown at me!"

Cloud leaned forward to grip the cuff on Zack's sweater, stretching it towards him, trying to draw Zack in. "Don't you give a shit? He'll kill me."

The nurse's mind was reeling. Was this a paranoid delusion, or the truth? He wasn't a doctor for god's sake, how was he supposed to decide? If he was wrong, either Cloud would be dead, or he'd be feeding a fantasy delaying any kind of recovery.

Cloud's fist took another handful of the woollen cuff, stretching it further. "Please…I beg you."

What fucking emotional blackmail bullshit. Zack thought. This was worse than getting manipulated by a border-line personality. But damnit, Cloud had obviously learnt something about him in all these months because he was pushing his buttons perfectly with those lost boy eyes.

Also, having worked with crazy for a few years, you became pretty good at picking out the nut jobs. Cloud, no. Sepiroth…….

"You know I'm risking my job and prison if I help you." Zack told him. Cloud nodded, his hair falling in front of him.

"Fuck." The nurse buried his head in his hands. "I think I need to be locked up in here with you."

Zack was shivering. It had been a week since he had agreed to do this. And now he was in the cold along some country back street. The hospital was a few miles from the city, in a nice idyllic setting with plenty of fields for recreation and privacy.

There could be time to back out of this he thought, as he wrapped his leather jacket around him. Still time to do the SANE thing.

He had worked out a plan, and had told Cloud what to do. His idea was to wait until the change over to the evening shift, when there would be minimal staff wondering the corridors. Cloud was to slip out his room, and come out the back entrance that had no security cameras. Then under the cover of darkness, he could cross the fields, through the trees, and meet Zack here. The security at this place was minimal, after all most of the patients were free to leave of their own accord. And no one was expecting Cloud to do it. They wouldn't discover he was missing until the first night time check. Then the shit really would hit the fan.

Zack checked his watch. Maybe Cloud had backed out, maybe there was some way to avert this whole mess.

Some breaking of twigs told Zack he was in a load of shit still. "Zack…" A voice had whispered.

"Here…" He said lowly, and in the darkness he saw Cloud's blond head come out the bushes. The nurse trotted over, and pulled him out. The younger man was breathing heavily, as expected the short trek had winded him. He fell against his chest, taking the moment to catch his breath. "Jesus you're freezing Cloud!"

"I don't have a coat." The boy said through chattering teeth.

Zack still didn't think he had a chance in hell with this plan working. But he unzipped his leather jacket and put it around Cloud. "Put this on, you'll need it." Out of habit he helped Cloud with the zips, even though it swamped the boy.

"Come on, we can't hang around here. They're gonna know you're gone any minute now." Zack told him pulling the smaller boy towards his bike. "Put this on." He passed a spare helmet before putting his own on.

Zack sat on his bike, the suspension lowering with his weight. He didn't even need to tell Cloud t get on before he felt the other man slide behind him. His body was pressed behind him, the buckles of his jacket digging into his back.

Cloud may have a chance to be warmer with the jacket, but Zack knew he was going to freeze himself now he was only wearing a fleece under jacket.

He started the engine, revving it a few times to help get the engine warm. "I'm fucking insane." He said as he let go of the clutch, and Cloud probably couldn't hear over the engine. "Oh well..." He said jumping up the gears to get out here as fast as possible, and Cloud's arms instinctively tightened around his waist.

They rode for an hour, until they reached a seedier part of the city, where they would spend the night in a no questions Motel. He picked up the key waved Cloud over from his bike as he unlocked the door. The fell inside the room from the night chill and Zack went immediately to the heater. He was still frozen, and he fumbled with taking his gloves off.

Cloud came up and sat beside him, to share in the warmth.

Zack hissed as his fingers painfully got warm blood in them. He tried to flex them to make the unpleasant sensation go away.

The leather of his jacket creaked as Cloud shifted, and he uttered "Thanks…"

"Yeah well, you can tell me that again when I'm arrested." Zack tried to tease, but the very real possibility meant it wasn't up to his usual level.

Cloud didn't say anything, instead rubbed his hands up and down the other man's chilled arm's to try and warm them. His movements stopped as the warmed up, and they sat in silence.

"Come on, lets just sleep. I'm too tired to go back to my place." The nurse suggested, and Cloud nodded.

Zack dragged off his boots before falling onto the bed, and he stared up at the ceiling. He was tired but truthfully he couldn't sleep, the enormity of his actions running through his head.

He heard the leather being dropped over a chair, shoes removed and the bed depress beside him. The older man kept his eyes on the ceiling, as Cloud got under the covers with him.

"Zack…" A small voice said.

"Yes?"

"I'm cold still."

"You'll warm up." Zack told him. His eyes widened though when he felt a small hand slide over his chest, settling there over his heart. The hand did feel cold though, and his larger one covered it. "You alright?" He asked the escaped mental patient beside him.

"Yeah…" Said the voice beside him.

"Don't worry kiddo, we'll figure out something." He told him, forcing his eyes closed.

When Zack awoke in the morning, he felt warm, and he had a few moments of respite from reality. But he hadn't remembered falling asleep like this, with a warm body curled up next to him.

He opened his eyes and was about to say "Arieth I had the weirdest dream…" When instead he had the shock of gold hair in front of him. Somehow, in the night Cloud had curled up onto his chest, his arm thrown around him. And to his horror, Zack's own arm was around Cloud, his hand cupped around the back of the boy's head.

He withdrew it guiltily, trying not to think just how WRONG the whole situation was. When he could take no more he extracted himself pulling on his boots by the bed, and left.

When he returned, he had an armful of newspapers and a bag of bagels, coffee in the other. Cloud was still sleeping, so he stomped to the bed loudly, "Yo, rise and shine." He said nudging Cloud with the bagels.

The boy stirred, rubbing his eyes. "It's official." Zack chucked the paper bag with breakfast in and looked at the newspaper headlines once again before throwing them at Cloud. "I'm a kidnapper."

Cloud pulled the top paper towards him, and on there was a photo from his hospital admission, with the headline, "Shinra Heir Missing." Cloud skimmed the columns, seemed they had assumed this was a kidnapping, and the authorities were waiting for a ransom. Bit of background, how he was recuperating at a care facility since the murders. Description, a quote from Sepiroth his guardian about how they were deeply concerned for his safety, a reward for information.

Zack sipped is coffee, wondering what he had been expecting to happen. What he was going to do. "I'm going to call Reno." He said taking out his cell phone. It rang before he heard his colleague.

"Yo Reno, what the fuck is happening! I saw the papers!"

Cloud wasn't privy to the other side of the conversation; he listened quietly as he shuffled through the other papers.

"Yeah well I'm in Junon now, I wasn't due back until tomorrow I told you I was going on a bike tour for my weekend. But fuck, Cloud, what happened?…You know I TOLD you that back door keypad was bust."

What ever Reno said it made Zack roll his eyes. "Well what do they know? What are the police doing?"

Zack got the gossip from Reno, and he shook his head, "I'm just worried about that poor kid…" And the Oscar goes to… "Look I'll be coming back straight away, but I won't be able to get back till 9 or something, I'll come in tomorrow. The police want to talk to me? You damn bet they do I need to tell them to get off their asses."

Cloud snorted quietly, and the older man flicked his eyes back to him. "Look I gotta go Reno, yeah catch you tomorrow…" And he finished the call flipping his phone shut.

"We are in so deep shit. " Zack said finding the bag of bagels. "Look, you need to leave here." He took a bite, his mind already on a plan. "I'll give you money, put you on a bus, you can go as far as possible, hell get to a port and go to the Costa del Sol. You can hide, start a new life." He looked at Cloud sitting up on his elbows, staring at him. "…You think you can do that?"

Cloud shook his head.

"Ah fuck Cloud unless you hand yourself into the police what else are you going to do??"

Cloud gave him a blank look, and rolled over burying himself under the covers.

"Oh no you don't! Don't think I'm gonna be falling for that now." Zack abandoned his coffee and bagel, and he ripped the covers off Cloud and pulled the smaller man onto his back so he had to look up at him. "Against my better judgement I got your freedom. Now it's time for you to use it, or you admit you can't handle it and go back to the hospital."

Cloud was pinned under him, but he looked up at Zack with an emotionless face. "It's time to take control Cloud. Decide your own destiny."

Something akin to anger flashed across Cloud's face, and he pulled up his hand and with a fist started beating on Zack's hard chest. The blows were weak, and Zack thought he could see a look of betrayal in those blue eyes.

He let Cloud hit him, waiting for the emotions to run their course. "You said you'd look after me!" The boy said eventually.

Zack's brow creased in confusion. "What? At the hospital?" Then it dawned on him, all the time he'd spent with Cloud, acting as if they were a team. "Yeah, I said I'd be the one to care for you…but that was different." He felt guilty that all his friendly patter had been mis-construed.

At some point Cloud's blows had stopped, and his hand just rested on Zack's chest. "What do you think I should do then?"

Zack thought for a moment, before deciding. "Go to the police Cloud. Tell them what you know. They'll realise you're sane, they'll believe you."

"Ok…" Cloud put his trust in Zack. "But I have one request before that."

"Oh?" Zack asked.

"Kiss me."

"What?!" Zack was about to jump away, but at some point Cloud's slim hand had sneaked over his chest to back of his head, burying it's self in the long strands of black hair there.

"I've never been kissed before…" Cloud explained, putting a steady pressure on the back of Zack's neck, to bring him closer.

The nurse resisted the pull though. "Cloud, this is…not right." It was wrong wrong wrong wrong!! Zack's mind screamed.

"You said so yourself I wasn't crazy…" The blond urged, and before Zack could protest again, he jerked the man down to him so their lips met.

Zack's eyes were wide, but Cloud's fingers had gripped his hair hard. Their lips were pressed together chastely, and he was too scared to move.

But when he felt the boy…well no the man's lips move against his own, he just gave in. Fuck it, you've already crossed so many lines of decency you have no right to call yourself professional anyway. He parted his lips slightly, his large rough hand coming up to hold Cloud's cheek.

That was all the encouragement Cloud needed, and he ran the tip of his tongue along Zack's lower lip before going in to meet Zack's own.

To his own dismay Zack responded, tasting the boy beneath him. He'd meant it all those times he had said Cloud was cute, and it was horrifying to think how quickly his innocent thoughts had become perverted.

And he was finding it very erotic, the feel of the younger man's lips and tongue against his own, that small body pressed up against his.

The blond boy mewed, and Zack was about to deepen the kiss into something more passionate when he got a hold of himself and jerked away, breaking the contact between them.

Cloud was flushed underneath him, and Zack knew his own face was red with embarrassment. The young man's face was pleading with him for more. "This is abuse." He said seriously getting off the bed.

"How can it be if I asked…" Cloud asked from behind him, Zack was too ashamed to look at him and he picked up his luke warm coffee to drink it.

"Because it's an abuse of the power, we're not equals I'm your carer, and…" Zack recalling what was professional ethics 101.

"I'm not retarded…" Cloud interrupted him; it was a novelty to be able to tell someone to shut up. "I think anyway." He added.

That did not help Zack's guilt. Seeing as how Zack still hadn't faced him, Cloud crawled up on his elbows towards the edge of the bed, closer to him.

"I won't tell anyone." Cloud told him.

"That's not the point!" Zack spun around, he felt like a molester asking to keep 'special time' a secret from mommy and daddy.

"I'm not finished." Cloud interrupted him. "I'll…" The younger man's fingers clenched the bed sheet underneath them. "I'll go to the police."

"Really?" Zack asked surprised.

Cloud nodded. "I'm taking responsibility for my life."

Zack was a seasoned enough mental health professional to question just WHO's benefit this was for. But he felt like wave of relief rush over him and he flopped back down into the chair.

"But," Cloud interjected. "I want to spend one more night with you."

"No way. No way am I…"

"Even if you don't want to do anything, I just want to…be with you for one more night." Cloud told him, looking hopeful.

Those puppy dog eyes again. "Fine. One more night…to get your head straight."

They spent the day watching the TV, for any news reports on the 'kidnapping'. They ate pizza, kept the curtains closed, put the do not disturb sign on the door. The local evening news started with the story, and then it cut to a press conference. Beside the police officer, was sitting Sepiroth. The police officer read out the usual details, before it came to Sepiroth to make his 'emotive' speech. He said out in his deep stoic voice how concerned they were for Cloud's safety, how he had special care needs and was in a venerable state. How concerned parties would be willing to pay for his safe return.

Zack had been so absorbed, so mesmerised by those green eyes that he hadn't noticed Cloud. A muffled moan beside him broke the spell, and his head flicked towards it. Cloud was doubled over, his head clutched to his hands.

"What's wrong?" Zack asked getting on his knees in front of Cloud to try and see into his face.

"It. Hurts." Cloud said through gritted teeth, his breaths starting to come out in short heavy pants.

"What does? Your head?" Zack asked pushing the hair out of the boy's face. Cloud nodded, before letting out a pained cry.

Zack felt his forehead, the pale skin felt clammy. "You're having a panic attack." He told him turning off the TV with the remove and then pulling him forward to get his head down, wrapping his arms around him to keep him there. "Just breathe, and calm."

But Cloud shrieked, blindly shoving away Zack with his hands, desperately keeping him away. The force of the blows were a shock to Zack, and he felt a nail catch across his cheek. "Cloud." He said firmly; in his don't be crazy and stupid I'm just here to help you tone of voice he usually used while brandishing a syringe filled with a heavy tranquiliser.

The blows stopped, and Zack pulled him close again.

The only sounds now were Clouds laboured breathing, Zack stroking his hair. "Just think about breathing deeply…follow mine…breath in…breath out…"

They stayed there, Cloud pressed against his chest, until eventually he quietened and his breathing evened out. "It's ok…" Zack tried to reassure the blond man, but for the billionth time he was questioning this whole situation. But come tomorrow, Cloud would be safe, with people better able to help him. God knows Zack had only made the situation worse.

Zack was loath to break the silence, but eventually he asked, "Do you want to talk about it?" The blond head shook for a no.

"It hurts to think about it…" He mumbled into Zack's front.

He may not be crazy, but physically, mentally, Cloud had issues that was obvious. "Sometimes we have to think about painful things." Zack offered. "It's not good to bury them." That was his now-disgraced-and-soon-facing-jail-professional opinion. He remembered his stinging cheek and pressed his fingers to it. They came away with blood, Cloud had gotten him good. Just great.

Cloud didn't respond, but Zack was ok with sitting like that on his knees. Until he noticed the breathing was quieter than ever. Cloud had fallen asleep. Great coping mechanism you got there kiddo, he thought dryly as he easily lifted him from the chair to the bed.

He straightened and looked back to the chair where he planned to sleep the night, but against his better judgement he lay beside Cloud watching the young man's pained face as he slept.

They had woken in a similar position as the night before, and this time Zack immediately pulled away. There was a heavy atmosphere between them, as they checked out and rode Zack's bike a few blocks from the police station. Around the corner Cloud had given back Zack his leather jacket.

"Look, you don't have to go in alone." Zack said. "That whole responsibility thing works both ways, I'm ready to face the consequences of my actions." The jail time. Gosh. But he was…worried.

Cloud shook his head. "I'll be ok." He said, looking over his shoulder in the direction of the police station. "I won't tell them you helped me, I'll say I just I walked out by myself and have been thinking. I don't want you to get in trouble."

There was a moment of silence between them, neither willing to part just yet. "Thanks Zack." When the nurse looked up from his feet he saw Cloud was smiling. It was the first time he'd seen Cloud smile, and it made him look younger. He was about to say something, he couldn't remember what now, but Cloud stopped him by leaning up to plant a childish kiss on his lips.

Then Cloud turned, his arms wrapping around his frame as he walked towards the police station.

Zack watched helplessly, but finally moved to follow some distance behind him. Just to make sure he got there ok. He followed discreetly, ducking down behind the bushes of the path. He poked his head around the side to watch.

Cloud had made it to the corner now.

But then two men in black suits came out of nowhere, both grabbing either side of him and dragging him towards a car that had come to a screeching halt at the side of the road.

Cloud was being kidnapped, for real this time, in broad day light a block from the police station!

Zack straightened himself from his hiding position, and shouted "hey!"

Just then, a black bag was forced over his head, and there was the registration of pain at the back of his head, and then nothing.

Zack found that that having ice cold water dumped on you wasn't the most pleasant way to be woken up, particularly as his head hurt. He opened his eyes with a gasp of air, only to have regretted that instantly. The light was blinding piercing right into his skull. He shook his wet black hair out of his face, only it stuck his skin.

He realised quickly that he was tied with his hands behind his back, in somewhere not too pleasant. An abandoned building of some sorts, it smelt stale and damp with mould.

A glance to his side showed him Cloud was there, water dripping off his face still; he had been woken in a similar manner. But he was relieved to see Cloud was still in one piece, even if he had that familiar blank stare.

"Cloud…" He hissed, to try and get his attention, but a noise made him look ahead.

"How touching…" Someone said behind the spotlights, and when the figure took a step closer, the tall silhouette confirmed who the baritone belonged to.

"Sepiroth?" Zack blinked into the light, his eyes having trouble focusing in the harsh light.

"Nurse Fair…I am glad you were looking after my ward so well."

"You son of a bitch." Zack snarled, pulling on the ropes in vain.

Sepiroth only seemed to ignore the nurse as he stepped closer to the blond boy. "So Cloud…" He gripped the boy's chin between his fingers forcing him to look up. "Do you remember?"

Cloud said nothing, his face betrayed no emotion. "I know you can hear me, the act won't wash with me now." Still there was no reply, and he dropped the boy's chin in discuss. "Pathetic…" he muttered, turning to Zack now.

"Well, lets see how dead he can pretend to be." Sepiroth said holding out his hand and someone from the shadows came and handed him a switch blade.

He advanced on the smaller man, the blade pointed menacingly. Zack found his voice and shouted, "Don't you touch him or I swear to god you won't see another day." He renewed his struggling in the chair, when a man in a suit appeared to hit him, sending new sparks pain through his head.

"Oh…well I don't mind starting with you." Sepiroth seemed amused. "Hold him, make sure the boy can see."

Zack felt gloved hand's holding him, and Sepiroth turning his cheek to the side, exposing where Cloud had scratched earlier. He clenched his eyes and teeth tight, when he felt the blade pierce his skin, being slowly drawn across, and then again.

There was little doubt in Zack's mind Sepiroth absolutely insane, and that was his professional opinion.

Some muffled sounds and then someone shouted "Stop!" It was Cloud, and Sepiroth pulled back with a smirk.

"Ah, so glad to see you've joined us Cloud…" Sepiroth stepped over to him, and used the tip of the bloody knife to draw Cloud's face up. "So I'll ask you again, do you remember?"

"I remember. I remember the argument and Father going quiet. You saw me, pinned me to the wall and twisted the knife in my gut, and left me there as you threw the match. I remember you." Cloud said in a mixture of fear and defiance.

Sepiroth seemed satisfied. "I was so careless; you were my one loose end. But everything seemed to be working fine, as long as you were incapacitated. I took you for as good as dead like that. But then I had that call, I had to check for myself. And low and behold you disappear, well it's time to make you disappear for good." Keeping the blade at Cloud's throat, the hired goons untied the ropes. Grabbing the blond man by the scruff of his sweater, they hauled him up and lead him somewhere behind them. Zack twisted only to notice for the first time they had been sitting in front of a huge hole in the floor, it had collapsed and went down god knows how far. They were going to push Cloud to his death.

Everything went in slow motion, like some terrible action film from the 80s. Everyone was focused on Cloud now, as he struggled to pull back from the edge. Zack sprang from the chair dodging the surprised goons, his arms still tied behind his back.

Using his shoulder, he ran into Sepiroth's back pushing the taller man forward a few feet. That's all it took for him to stumble into hole. Zack followed after him.

Cloud and the suited lackeys looked over the edge. There lay Zack, with Sepiroth underneath him. Neither moved.

Dead? Yeah Zack thought he had been too. What had happened was far more painful. Broken legs, or as the orthopaedic surgeon had said 'shattered legs'. Plus cracked ribs, and a hair line fracture of his cheek bone. It would have been much worse if Sepiroth hadn't broken his fall. As bad as it had been for Sepiroth. Six weeks in hospital at least, much of that spent so drugged to the eyeballs he didn't know what day of the week was. He hated hospitals. Well, when he was a patient at least.

He didn't remember too much from immediately after his heroics. He had opened his eyes as he was wheeled to an ambulance. He'd seen the faces of the paramedics, a few police, and mop of blond hair and blue eyes. The worried look. Well Cloud was safe, so he let himself fall back into unconsciousness.

The first few days he'd ping-ponged between agony and floaty chemical bliss, stuck in bed with what seemed the entire lower half of his body in casts. He must have looked a fright as well, body and face mottled with bruises, one eye swollen shut and black. Then the police wanted to talk to him. What had happened?

Dunno, must have hit my head. Strange that, falling two stories. And that had been the end of his official statement.

He'd gathered that Sepiroth was indeed dead. The goons had fled after assessing the situation. No employer, no money, no job. They weren't going to make another body to clear up. They'd just left Cloud there next to the edge.

Zack kept his silence, hoping Cloud could sort through what had happened. And he must have, because the news was heralding the miracle of the Shinra heir, back safe and sound. Investigations into Sepiroth's mis-dealings was started, cases re-opened. If Cloud wasn't careful he'd end up on Oprah's couch.

But Cloud never came to visit. "Nuuuurse." He called, having spied the woman on shift pass his door. "How about some more of those pills and a sponge bath?"

Getting the casts off had only been half the battle. Then came the physical therapy, which was going to be a long road. But at least Zack was allowed home at last. Arieth had come to visit, and that had been awkward to say the least. She may have come out of regret and hope to rekindle their relationship, but Zack's lack of openness and enthusiasm had dashed those ideas.

The media frenzy around the case fizzled out, and nothing came of his involvement in Cloud's escape. In fact everyone was speculating Sepiroth had arranged it himself, and Zack along with him in case he knew anything. There was no proof of anything otherwise.

He was home dry and free, with another 6 weeks off from work. For all intents and purposes that chapter of his life was closed, and he'd be back to dealing with crazies in no time. Cloud had a huge trust fund, the kid would be fine. He didn't need him anymore that much had been clear. No visit, not even a bunch of grapes, nada. A success story for him then, another patient able to go off into the big bad world on their own. He may not be such a bad nurse after all.

Then why the hell was he still thinking about Cloud?

You suck as a nurse Zack Fair, he told himself.

He crawled into bed, pulling the covers over his head.

It was the door bell ringing that woke him up. Zack ignored it, turning over to go back to sleep. A police man, a reporter, Arieth, Reno, fuck em.

The persistent ringing eventually drilled into his head enough that he threw the covers off and shouted, "Alright already!" If this was Reno, he was getting his ass kicked by a cripple.

He limped over to the door, desperate to make the sound stop. "You know," he began, "When no one answers it usually means no one…"

The dark haired man stopped mid sentence, it wasn't the police, a reporter, Arieth or even Reno. It was Cloud with dark glasses covering his eyes. The other man reached to pull the glasses off his nose, finally showing him those blue eyes. The blue eyes Zack couldn't get out of his head.

"Can I come in?" Cloud asked he looked nervous.

It was starting to hurt standing there like this, so Zack nodded and let him in closing the door behind.

Cloud stood awkwardly in the middle of his apartment. He looked taller, stood straighter; the hollows in his face had filled out. He looked sharp in his clothes, and Zack felt like a loath in sweat pants and collage t-shirt. This wasn't the best of ways for their reintroduction.

"You can sit, I sure as hell need to." Zack said squeezing past and lowering himself on the couch gingerly, trying to flex his stiff knee.

Cloud did sit beside him, perching on the edge as he watched Zack try to pull his knee up to his chest. "Are you ok?" he asked.

"I'm getting better." Zack told him. The only thing visible was the criss-cross scar on his cheek, still fresh and pink. "I'll set off metal detectors now I've got so many screws and pins in there." There was an awkward pause, before he asked, "And how about you?"

Cloud nodded at the question. "I'm ok…there's been so many questions and scans and tests to prove I'm not…uh well you know."

"What the doctor's say?" Zack asked. Funny how he'd been privy to every detail of Cloud's life a few months ago, but now Cloud had every right to tell him to mind his own business.

But he didn't, "They say I'm fine…physically." The implication of that hung in the air uneasily. "I'm seeing a therapist every week now…post traumatic stress, or something…" But he quickly amended, "But I'm fine really, like they didn't lock me up or anything."

"Yeah I know." Zack reassured him, "You look like your holding up fine, considering." He finally looked over at the man sitting beside him, and noticed he was toying nervously with the sunglasses he'd been wearing.

"I'm glad it's worked out alright, it's not often I get to say that about my patients." Zack told him.

"Yeah, I'm not one of your patients now right…" Cloud finally stopped his fiddling to look at Zack. This was the crux of the matter.

"No, you're not…" Zack agreed.

"Then…" Cloud leaned forward to Zack. "Will you kiss me now if I ask you?"

The tension was almost unbearable, stretched out by the time it took Zack to answer. "Yes I will."

That was all the answer needed, and he closed the distance between them take Zack's lips in a kiss. The dark haired man was hesitant at first, lingering misgivings holding him still. But he pushed them aside, realising just how much he wanted this. How much he'd been fantasying about this moment.

He moved his lips to tease Cloud with his tongue, and he felt the other boy respond to his actions. The blond man's soft hand covered his cheek, the side with the new scar, as Zack's arms enveloped his shoulders with his arms.

Their kisses deepened, and Zack pulled away for a moment to say, "You're so hot." It was such a cheesy line, but it didn't seem to bother Cloud who kissed him back harder with his answer.

Cloud's hand wandered over Zack's broad chest, trailing down as they kissed. Finally his hand cupped the growing lump through the soft fabric of Zack's sweat pants.

Zack had to use every inch of self control to pull back once again, his hands on Cloud's shoulders. "You've got to really want this cos any further and I won't be able to stop myself."

Cloud gave him a smile, he obviously found it amusing Zack was even asking. Cloud looked over his shoulder to the other side of the studio apartment where Zack's unmade bed was, and got up to pull Zack with him.

Their love making was passionate, as both sort their release.

The nurse pulled the other man over so his head was on his chest, and Cloud curled up so he was wrapped around Zack's body. They enjoyed the feeling of each other's damp skin.

They stayed like that for a long time, neither one sure how to break the silence.

Finally it was Cloud who broke it. "I was so jealous of Arieth."

"Huh?" Zack asked in surprise. He wasn't even sure how 'with it' Cloud had been when he was dating her. It seemed more than he realised.

Cloud nodded against Zack's chest. "Yeah, you'd tell me about your dates, and they sounded so nice and normal I wish it was me you'd take to the cinema."

Zack thought for a moment, "Well I never broke the law, ignored my professional ethics, or fell two stories for her." He laughed gently. "But I suppose I can take you to the cinema if you want."

Cloud ran his fingers over Zack nipple slowly. "And then can we…?"

"…If you want…"

"I mean eat ice cream. You were right it is my favourite."

Zack finally laughed. "You are such a kid." He ruffled Cloud's hair. Cloud took exception to that and came up to kiss his lips and silence him.

"You'll stay with me right?" Cloud asked between kisses.

"Do I have a choice?"

"Not really."

"Good." Zack was falling helplessly in love, and Cloud's expression mirrored his own.


End file.
